Review: SPRING AWAKENING at Shenandoah Conservatory

Presented by Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia, this presentation of the musical SPRING AWAKENING is a brilliant and commanding journey that keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end. After experiencing the journey of this production, there is no surprise at all why Shenandoah Conservatory was just listed in "The Top 10 BFA Musical Theatre Programs in the Country for 2016-17."

Based on German Frank Wedekind's inherently precocious Frülings Erwachen (written in 1891), the modern day musical adaptation of SPRING AWAKENING explores themes of adolescent sexual examination, homosexuality, suicide, and abortion. The cast is helmed by Drew Becker (Melchior), Kyle Mangold (Moritz), and Shannon Connors (Wendla). Also starring Alex Beard (Ensemble), Emma Benson (Thea), Zachary Bigelow (Ensemble), Taylor Bloom (Hanschen), Stevie Bovo (Otto), Kamryn Burton (Martha), Emma Coniglio (Anna), Bridget Doherty (Illse), Stephen Dransfield (Georg), Chris Godshall (The Adult Men), Annanoa Kaufmann (Swing). Ashley Knaack (The Adult Women), Kaila McCourt (Ensemble), Jack Murphy (Swing), Madelyn Pyles (Ensemble), and Michael Recchia (Ernst).

Drew Becker as Melchior constantly drives the show forward with energetic and compelling vocals, accentuated by extremely intelligent, calculated, and subtle character work. Shannon Connors as Wendla tactfully delves into all aspects surrounding the aesthetic of innocence, her emotional and vocal control catapults her to a level of performance that is rarely seen by a college freshman.

The production honed in on Melchior's friendship with Moritz Stiefel (Kyle Mangold), and his intimate relations with Wendla Bergmann. Through his believable and genuine acting choices, with fabulous vocal abilities to match, Mangold captivated the audience and brought them with him on his journey as the uncomfortable and anxious student. His wild and wavy hair also added a sense of intrigue throughout the show.

The intersection of homoeroticism and religion for the characters of Ernst and Hanschen is brilliantly brought to life by Michael Recchia and Taylor Bloom. For the entirety of Bloom's performance, a sense of scandal, sex and scheming were always present; the refined and artful maneuvering of this character's journey being led by Bloom was unmistakable. Together, in the song The Word of Your Body, the passions of Bloom and Recchia expertly mirror reality in the most genuine of ways through pure and faultless human reaction.

Stephen Dransfield plays Georg, the student who lusts for nothing other than his piano teacher. Dransfield delivers a miraculous performance of Touch Me, while simultaneously bringing an abundance of depth throughout his performance. His vocal range is spectacular, it has a rich and warm feeling that sinks straight into the audience's soul.

Illse (Bridget Doherty) and Martha (Kamryn Burton) bravely voyaged into very intimate details that were surrounding and involving rape and sexual abuse. This voyage continued with The Dark I Know, an intense and important song that captures the pain of Illse and Martha. From the moment that Burton and Doherty began singing, they claimed their space as vocal powerhouses and held their positions with formidable and impressive ease.

For the entirety of the show, I had to continue reminding myself that I wasn't watching a professional cast. The big group numbers, particularly Totally Fucked and Song of Purple Summer were overwhelmingly spectacular. Every member of the cast demonstrated superior vocal abilities and had vocal training that mirrored Shenandoah Conservatory's reputation as being the only "pop/rock" school program with faculty dedicated to the genre.

The show's costumes were designed by Jennifer Flitton Adams and closely correlated to the gender lines one often associates with the Puritan status. The costumes adorned by the cast were simple and well-suited to the story, with a touch of gothic flair that worked to fundamentally progress the story forward.

William Pierson's dynamic set blends masterfully with Andrew Carson's beautiful and hypnotic lighting design - the two really were symbiotic in nature, with the effect onstage being absolutely breathtaking. The overall aesthetic of the production value never overwhelmed or saturated the audience. Rather, it worked to enhance and augment the overall theatrical experience.

At this point, I only have one massive and critical complaint: Shenandoah Conservatory's sound system is beyond antiquated, underwhelming, and a complete hot mess - to say the least. Throughout the evening, the mics were going in and out, and the system seemed to not be able to handle the level of fierce and slaying vocals that were entering it. For being one of the best BFA programs in the nation, they need to put their sound design where their reputation is.

The production was led by two Broadway veterans, and now Shenandoah educators: Rick Edinger (Music Direction) and Kevin Covert (Direction and Choreography). When watching Shenandoah Conservatory's production of SPRING AWAKENING, it is apparent that it was cultivated by professionals with a background in creating and teaching performing arts which are rooted in a foundation of excellence. For being Covert's first show as the new Director of Musical Theatre at Shenandoah Conservatory, he has set the bar very high. One can safely assume based on this production level that Musical Theatre at Shenandoah Conservatory will continue leading the way for the next generation of performing artists.

Photo Credit: C. King Photography

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